Flourish In Times of Struggle #1 - Year One

In a time of political, social, and ecological upheaval, personal well-being cannot be separated from the systems that surround us. Flourishing in Times of Struggle is an inquiry into how power, governance, and collective action influence our ability to live well—individually and together. This first episode introduces the core questions and direction of the series, setting the stage for thoughtful exploration rather than quick answers.

Transcript

Flourish in Times of Struggle — Episode One: Year One

Hi. This is Michael C. Patterson. Welcome to a new podcast series I’m calling Flourishing in Times of Struggle.

I want to begin by naming something plainly. I am troubled by what I see happening in our country—and in the world more broadly. Many of the systems we depend on to support human well-being and ecological stability feel increasingly fragile, increasingly misaligned, and increasingly vulnerable to abuse.

Like many people, I find myself asking questions that are both personal and political, emotional and practical: What is happening? Why does it feel so overwhelming? And what—if anything—can an ordinary person do in response?

For a long time, my work has focused on flourishing as we age—on creativity, well-being, and the development of wisdom over time. That focus still matters to me. But in this moment, it no longer feels sufficient to talk about flourishing only at the level of individual psychology or personal growth.

In times of struggle, flourishing is shaped as much by our social, economic, and political systems as by our inner lives. If those systems are failing—or worse, concentrating power in ways that limit participation and accountability—then personal resilience alone won’t be enough.

That realization has left me feeling, at times, both compelled to act and uncertain about how. The scale of the challenges we face—democratic erosion, widening inequality, ecological breakdown—can feel paralyzing. I know that feeling of wanting to do something, while not knowing where to begin.

So rather than pretending to have answers, I decided to do what I know how to do: study, learn, and think carefully—and to say what I’m thinking and feeling out loud to, hopefully, stimulate discussion with others— with you.

That’s what this podcast is about.

Over the past year, my curiosity has begun to organize itself around two closely connected questions that I believe are central to flourishing in times like these.

The first is protective: How do people resist harmful concentrations of power when institutions begin to fail them? History suggests that when power becomes too centralized—politically, economically, or culturally—human flourishing narrows rather than expands. One area I’ll be exploring is the long tradition of civil resistance—not as spectacle or outrage, but as a disciplined, strategic way that ordinary people have protected democratic space and constrained abuses of power.

The second question is constructive: If existing systems are no longer serving us well, what kinds of systems might serve us better? Here, I’m drawn to systems thinking and to the idea of governing the commons—approaches that focus on cooperation, stewardship, and shared responsibility rather than extraction and control. These models offer concrete examples of how people have designed institutions that support long-term well-being—for communities and for the natural world.

I don’t see these two questions as separate. Resisting harmful concentrations of power helps preserve the space in which healthier systems can emerge. And imagining better systems gives direction and purpose to resistance itself.

This feels especially relevant in 2026, which marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. We are one of the oldest constitutional republics in the world, with the oldest written national constitution still in force.

That longevity can be read as a sign of resilience—and it can also evoke a kind of reverence for the document itself. But it can also prompt a more searching question: whether systems designed for an 18th-century society—crafted by a relatively small group of property-owning elites—are still capable of serving a diverse, pluralistic, 21st-century democracy.

From the beginning, the Constitution reflected both democratic aspirations and deep anxieties about popular power—anxieties that led its authors to limit direct participation and to insulate decision-making from popular pressure. Over time, its most inclusive promises were realized only through sustained struggle—through amendments, social movements, and persistent pressure from people who were originally excluded.

Those structural features still shape how power operates today. And they raise an essential question about legitimacy: not whether our systems are old or familiar, but whether they continue to serve the well-being, dignity, and voice of the people who live within them.

The writer Melissa Ryan has offered an image I find helpful. She suggests that we can think of 2026 as the 250th year of the old American democracy—or as Year One of something new: a reimagining of governance that works for everyone, not just a privileged few.

That’s how I want to approach this year—as Year One. Not as a rejection of history, but as an opportunity to learn from it. A chance to ask whether our governing systems are still worthy of the authority we grant them—and, if not, how they might be redesigned to better support dignity, participation, and human flourishing, while also pushing back against concentrations of power that erode democratic accountability.

I don’t claim expertise in all of this. I’m a student. What I hope to offer through this podcast is a place for careful thinking—grounded in history, informed by evidence, and oriented toward the long arc of human and planetary flourishing.

I’ll be sharing what I’m learning, ideas that I find compelling, areas of concern and uncertainty. And, I’m sure my thinking will evolve over time.  And I hope you’ll join me—not as passive listeners, but as thoughtful companions and participants in this inquiry.

If these questions matter to you—if you’re curious about how systems shape our lives, and how they might be changed—then I hope you’ll stay with me in the conversations ahead.

Thanks for listening. I hope that together, we can learn to flourish in times of struggle.